Central Park, Aug 31–Sep 6: seven clear mornings on the drives, and fall migration starts at Belvedere

For the first time since June there is nothing on the road all week — no race, no charity walk, no permit touching either drive on any of the seven days. Plan whatever you’ve been putting off. The only thing competing for your attention is that fall migration has started, and the Conservancy’s Birding Basics tour meets Friday and Sunday morning at Belvedere Castle.

Weather this week

Warm and humid every day with scattered thunderstorm chances, hottest Tuesday at 85° and Thursday at 86°, then a northwest wind clears it out Friday for a mostly sunny 79° Saturday and 60s overnight. Front-load the hard efforts before 8 AM Monday through Thursday while the air is still heavy, and save the long ride or the long run for Friday and Saturday when it finally breaks.

Mon Aug 31 — clear drives, choir at the Bandshell

Nothing on the road. Cherry Hill is closed until 2 PM — off your line either way. If you’re walking in the evening, the Xinsheng Chinese Choir sings at Bandshell Plaza 6–7:30 PM.

Tue Sep 1 – Thu Sep 3 — the hot stretch, and nothing to work around

Three empty days on the drives and the week’s worst air: 85° Tuesday, 86° Thursday, humidity throughout. The only closures are lawns — Bowling Green all day Tuesday, The Dairy Wednesday and Thursday, Levin Thursday, East 72nd Street Playground from Tuesday on. None of it is on a running or riding line.

These are dawn days. By nine the heat is the limiting factor, not the traffic, which is a nice problem to have after the summer we’ve had on the road.

Fri Sep 4, 10 AM — Birding Basics at Belvedere Castle

The Conservancy’s Birding Basics Tour meets at Belvedere Castle. Fall migration is why you’d take it this week rather than in a month — the Ramble is about to start filling with birds moving south, and this is the tour that teaches you to actually find them.

Friday is also the first comfortable day: drier air, northwest wind, and still nothing on the drives. The Iconic Views tour starts its three-day run at 2 PM from Doris C. Freedman Plaza.

Sat Sep 5, 10 AM — Summer Pollinator Walk from Boys’ Gate

Mostly sunny, 79°, the best day of the week to be outside. The Summer Pollinator Walk leaves Boys’ Gate at 10 AM for the secret butterfly garden — the summer flowers are at the end of their run, so this is close to the last good weekend for it.

Later, tango at the Shakespeare Statue from 6–9 PM is a good thing to walk past on the Mall. East Meadow is closed all day.

Sun Sep 6 — birding again, folkdancers at King Jagiello

Birding Basics repeats at 10 AM if Friday didn’t work. The International Folkdancers hold King Jagiello Plaza 11 AM–6 PM — worth a slow lap past on foot.

Steady all week

East Meadow is closed Monday through Friday and both weekend days, the longest closure on the board. East 106th Street lawn is out Monday through Thursday, East 72nd Street Playground Tuesday through Friday. Lawn restoration, not path work — none of it changes a route.

Bird Watching with Birding Bob is new to this email and it’s the densest guided birding in the park: Monday, Thursday, Friday at 8:30 AM, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 and 9:30. Meet at Strawberry Fields Monday, Conservatory Garden Friday, the Boathouse on weekends. $10, paid at the end of the walk.

Quick recap

• Nothing on the drives, all seven days. First fully clear week since June.
• Dawn Monday–Thursday, 85–86° and humid by mid-morning; Friday and Saturday are the good days.
• Birding Basics at Belvedere, Friday and Sunday 10 AM — fall migration has started.
• Pollinator Walk Saturday 10 AM from Boys’ Gate, near the end of its season.
• East Meadow closed all week, weekend included.

Enjoy the clear road, Central Park Guide